Never Good Enough
by LeesaCrakon
Summary: A simple accusation triggers an argument between Cedric and his father, Goodwin the Great. Not knowing about the fight, Sofia goes up for her lessons and notices that something is wrong with her friend.
1. Fight

**Hey guys! I started watching Sofia the First about a week ago out of boredom... I didn't really like the show, but then I saw the episode "Cedric's Apprentice" and I fell in love with both the show and Cedric. I think the friendship between him and Sofia is adorable, and the one between him and his father was intriguing. I wanted to write something about them, and was thinking of ideas while listening to some of my favorite Simple Plan songs, and a story started to form! I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **Inspired by Simple Plan's Perfect.**

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Cedric let out a groan of frustration as he once again failed to get the spell he'd been working on correct. Sofia would be here any minute for her magic lesson and he needed to learn a plant growing spell. He'd always had trouble with it and school, and now he was expected to teach it! He was doomed.

"You never could get even the simplest of spells correct," the gruff voice of Cedric's father grunted, echoing through the small lair. Cedric flinched in surprise and turned to the portrait of his mother and father, watching wearily as his father emerged from the painting. The elderly wizard landed with a huff in front of his son, folding his arms across his chest. The two sorcerers stared at each other for a moment in silence, Goodwin watching his son with slight disapproval and sympathy. Cedric only noted the first.

"That's not true father," Cedric started, his tone irritated. "If you don't mind, could you leave? I need to get this spell right before Sofia gets here." The young sorcerer turned back to the spell book, muttering the words of the simple spell under his breath with his brow furrowed in frustration. Goodwin the Great didn't leave, but he stayed silent and watched Cedric with slight curiosity. When Cedric once again failed to get the spell right, he threw his wand down onto his desk and flopped down into his chair with a sigh, shaking his head.

"Here, let me show you," Goodwin said gently when he noticed his son's distress, pulling out his own wand and observing the spell for a moment before turning to the small plant on the desk. Cedric glared at his father, but watched grudgingly to see what he was getting wrong. _After all, he **is** the greatest sorcerer in all the land, _Cedric thought, a little sadly.

"Bring your wand up like this-" Goodwin swung the wand upward and to the right with vigor "- and say the magic words. Einhardi crescere!" Goodwin bellowed the words in a deep voice and the plant immediately sprung to life, a rose blooming with leaves of a dark, luscious green and small thorns. Cedric perked up a little, his eyes flickering from the plant to his father. Goodwin handed Cedric his wand and beckoned to the rose, an invitation for him to try. Cedric swallowed by the lump in his throat and nodded, getting to his feet. His eyes narrowed in concentration and he took a shaky breath.

Raising his hand like he'd seen his father do, Cedric cried, "Einhardi crescere!" The rose began to glow a brilliant pink before disappearing into thin air, leaving a patch of dirt and a few scorched leaves in its wake. "No, no, you're doing it all wrong!" Goodwin scolded, snatching the wand out of his son's hand. "You didn't wave the wand with enough flourish! And you said the words too blandl-"

"I can do it myself, thanks!" Cedric snapped, snatching the wand out of Goodwin's hands and glaring at him. "Didn't I tell you to leave, father?" Goodwin shook his head sadly at his son's antics and placed his hands on his hips, looking _up_ at his son but still managing to look superior.

"Well, you obviously can't. I learned this spell in minutes when I was a child! It's taken you years, and you still don't have it right!" Goodwin replied coldly. Cedric went rigid. "I don't _care_ how fast it took _you_ to learn it, father! I'm not like you!" Cedric snarled. Goodwin, taken aback, replied with the first thing that came to his mind: "Of course you aren't! _I_ didn't grow up to be a complete and utter failure!" Cedric's snarl faded and he gaped at his father.

"I-I... I'm not a failure!" Cedric spit back desperately. Goodwin didn't notice his son's disturbed expression and scoffed. "Hah, right, and I'm not a sorcerer!" Goodwin said with a laugh. Cedric's eyes were burning, but drew himself up again.

"Nothing I do is good enough for you. Why can't you just be proud of me for what I've accomplished?!" Cedric said, shaking his head in disbelief. "Because there's nothing to be proud of!" Goodwin hissed. Cedric's eyes were burning again. He wanted to look away from his father's angry expression, but his eyes were wide and fixed on him in a sort of horrified anticipation.

"You spend all of your time trying to figure out a way to steal something from a helpless little girl, you can't complete the tasks the King gives you, you have trouble with the simplest spells, and you're just... you're just you!" Goodwin continued. Cedric felt something wet and warm run down his cheeks, but he didn't take the time to see what it was. He bared his teeth, clenching his fists and trembling with rage.

"I do other things! I've impressed King Magnus! I teach Sofia magic! I've mastered some of the most complex spells that you wouldn't even begin to fathom doing! Everything I've done, from teaching myself to trying to become has been for you! I'm trying to _prove myself to you!"_ Cedric shouted, more of the hot liquid streaming down his face. What was it?!

"Oh really? I find all of that hard to believe. You've always been a suck up to your mother! You've never come to me for anything, for advice or to teach you something or anything! You don't care about what I think," Goodwin replied, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared at his son. Cedric's face slacked and his arms hung limply at his sides, his shoulders slumping.

"That's... That's _all_ I care about," Cedric murmured weakly, wrapping his arms around himself and blinking rapidly, trying to stop whatever was rolling down his cheeks. Goodwin bellowed and raised a hand high above his head. Everything blurred and Cedric found himself reeling backwards, his cheek stinging and the wind knocked out of him. He stumbled and crashed into the bookshelf behind him.

"Stop then, because you're never going to be good enough to be my son." Cedric's breath caught in his throat and his head snapped up, but Goodwin was gone, having vanished back into the painting after hitting his son. Cedric's breaths came out in shaky pants as he staggered to his feet, bracing himself against the wall, hiding his face in his hands, and trying to even out his breathing. When he brought his hands away, his gloves were damp. He was crying. That's what it was... Cedric curled his hands into fists and looked down to the ground, his eyes falling to his discarded wand. His eyes started swimming again and he hastily tried to wipe the tears away on his sleeve, but he couldn't make his father's words leave his mind.

 _ **I** didn't grow up to be a complete and utter failure!_

 _You don't care about what I think!_

 _You're never going to be good enough to be my son._

 _You're just... you're just you!_

Everything about Cedric disappointed his father! Wasn't _that_ a comforting thought?! Cedric kicked his wand away and stormed over to his desk, slamming his spell book shut. If his father was only going to be disappointed in him no matter what he did, then why should he do anything at all? Him being alive was just a burden to everyone.

Cedric closed his eyes, knowing what he was going to do would effect more people than just him. He silently begged that Sofia wouldn't be the one that found him.


	2. Mr Cedric?

"Mr. Ceedric! I'm ready for my lesson!" Sofia called, knocking on the door to her friend's lair. The door creaked open of its own accord and Sofia peeked her head in. Cedric sat at his desk, his head bowed and his fingers tangled in his black and gray hair. In his other hand he clutched a bottle filled with a thick, black liquid. Sofia's eyes widened as Cedric started to put the vial to his lips, his hands shaking slightly.

"M-Mr. Ceedric?" Sofia asked hesitantly. Said sorcerer let out a shriek of surprise and jerked violently, dropping the vial. It shattered against the floor and the black potion spread across the floor, sizzling slightly. Cedric groaned softly and Sofia gasped. "Oh! I'm sorry, Mr. Ceedric, I didn't mean to startle you!" Sofia said regretfully, bending down to pick up the broken glass. Cedric said nothing, grabbing her wrist before Sofia could pick up the glass or touch what been the contents.

"I'll clean it up later. Let's start your lesson," Cedric said, his voice uncharacteristically quiet. Sofia hesitantly nodded and straightened back up, watching as Cedric took off his purple robe and laid it over the spill, revealing the simple white shirt and black pants he wore underneath. Forcing a smile on his lips, Cedric turned back to Sofia and clasped his hands together.

"Let's begin! You have your wand, yes?" Cedric asked, picking up his own wand from the floor. Sofia held up her wand with a proud smile, and Cedric let out a small chuckle at her enthusiasm. "You're going to learn the... the plant growing spell." Sofia noticed the hesitance in Cedric's voice and his sad expression, but thought nothing of it when his smile quickly jumped back into place.

He patiently showed her the proper way to wave her wand and how to pronounce the words. Moving aside, Cedric gestured to the empty pot on his desk, smiling encouragingly at Sofia as she looked at the pot hesitantly. Sofia waved her wand, uttered the magic words, and pointed to the pot. A beautiful rose even more perfect and pink than the rose Goodwin conjured grew instantly in the pot, stunning Sofia and her friend.

"You... You got it right on the first try," Cedric praised, shaking his head in disbelief. Sofia giggled, but quieted when Cedric didn't say anything else. He touched the petals of the flower, the same sad expression on his face from earlier. The rose shrank back into the pot and Cedric put it onto the shelf, trying to ignore the jealousy he felt. A glowing ball swept out of the painting of his parents and landed on Cedric's shoulder, turning into a mini version of his father.

"How pathetic! An _eight year old_ can do that spell better than you!" Goodwin grumbled. The color drained from Cedric's face and he growled softly. "Shut up," he hissed, swatting the tiny version of Goodwin the Great off his shoulder and sniffling softly. Sofia tilted her head, looking at her friend in concern as he muttered under his breath. There was something wrong, and Sofia wouldn't rest until she found out what. Sofia hesitantly walked up to her friend and took one of his gloved hands in her own gently, looking up at him with wide eyes.

"Are you okay, Cedric?" Sofia asked the man softly. Cedric was so upset he didn't even notice Sofia got his name right and he burst into tears at her innocent question, pulling away from her and burying his head in his hands. Sofia recoiled in surprise at the unanticipated reaction, but she overcame her shock and hugged Cedric around the waist tightly.

"Please don't cry, Mr. Ceedric! What's wrong? Why are you so sad?" Sofia asked, her desperation growing as she felt Cedric begin to shake. The sorcerer got to his knees and returned Sofia's embrace, saying nothing as he buried his face in her shoulder and sobbed. Sofia felt tears of her own prick her eyes and hugged her friend tighter, letting him cry on her shoulder. Cedric was ashamed and disgusted with himself for taking comfort from a little girl, but he just couldn't pull himself together. To his horror, he started rambling.

"I'm never good enough! Not for my father, not for the king, not for anyone! Everything I do is wrong!" Cedric cried, trembling with grief and rage. "You know that's not true, Mr. Cedric! You're an amazing sorcerer! You're good enough for me!" Sofia said firmly, pulling away slightly to look Cedric in the eye. She pulled her handkerchief out of her bag and gave it to her friend, letting him use it to wipe his eyes.

"You don't understand, Sofia..." Cedric murmured, his eyes downcast as he grimaced. Sofia's face fell. "Then... Then tell me! I want to help! I care about you-"

"No you don't." Sofia felt a tear slip and she gently bit her lip to keep it from quivering. She cupped Cedric's face in her small hands and tilted it upward so the man had to look up at her. Cedric's sorrowful gaze met Sofia's worried one and Cedric felt like he would cry again. He gently pushed Sofia away, standing up and turning so his back faced her.

"Please leave," Cedric whispered, wrapping his arms around himself as his lips began to quiver. Sofia reached out and touched Cedric's elbow lightly, drawing back immediately when he flinched. "I said _leave,"_ Cedric choked out, turning his head to glare at Sofia. Sofia shrank back under the hateful gaze of her friend and backed away towards the door, keeping her eyes on Cedric until she closed the door.

Cedric collapsed into the nearest chair, bending over and grabbing at his hair and breathing heavily. He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his jaw, shaking his head in disgust as if trying to shake out the memory of Sofia's hurt gaze. He just couldn't do anything right, could he?


	3. Help

Sofia held back tears as she made her way down the steps of Cedric's tower, sniffling softly. There had to be some way she could make her friend feel better! If only she knew what had made Cedric so upset. It wasn't like him to act this way, and Sofia didn't like it. As she made her way through the halls of the palace, Sofia tried to think of things she could do. In the end the only plan she'd come up with was to leave Cedric alone and wait everything out, but Sofia couldn't do that! Something could happen to Cedric. Letting out a sigh of frustration, Sofia went into her room and plopped onto the bed.

"You alright, princess?" Sofia's rabbit friend, Clover said as he hopped down from the window sill, approaching the sad girl. "Mr. Cedric isn't acting like himself. He's so sad, and he keeps saying bad things about himself! I don't know what to do," Sofia said sorrowfully, not looking up to face her friend. Clover hummed in acknowledgement and got up onto the bed, thinking of how he could answer the princess.

"Why don't you ask your dad for help? King Roland might know what to do!" Clover suggested. Sofia contemplated Clover's idea with hesitance, keeping in mind that Cedric and the King weren't exactly on the best of terms. If her father agreed to help, would Cedric accept his assistance? Or would he ignore them both, kick them out of his lair, or worse? Sofia really didn't want to take the risk, but she didn't want Cedric to be sad anymore either.

"Okay... I'll go talk to him," Sofia sighed reluctantly, getting up and smoothing out her dress. "Can you come with me?" Sofia asked Clover, and the loyal bunny nodded in agreement. The princess and the rabbit left the room and made their way through the halls once more before dashing into the throne room. Baileywick and the King were trapped in a deep discussion and neither noticed as Sofia ran in with her friend.

"Dad! Dad, I need your help!" Sofia called, running in front of Baileywick and looking up at King Roland II with wide eyes. The King sighed and gave Sofia a small smile. "I'm a bit busy right now Sofia, but I'll be with you in a moment," he said. Sofia shook her head and put her hands on her hips, keeping a defiant look on her face. Baileywick smiled softly at the small girl's antics and backed out of the throne, leaving the King and his stepdaughter to talk alone.

"Bailey-! Ah... Well, looks like I'm free. What do you need, Sofia?" King Roland II asked, leaning forward in his throne to show Sofia he was listening. Sofia smiled a bit, but it quickly faded and she bowed her head.

"It's Mr. Cedric. He isn't acting like himself. He was really sad during our lesson today and he got upset for some reason when I got the spell we'd been working on right! He made me leave early. And... um... When I went in, he looked like he was crying and he was going to drink some funny looking potion..." Sofia's voice trailed off and she stared at her feet, unaware of just how horrible the events she revealed were. King Roland immediately leaped from his throne, grabbing Sofia by the hand as he marched his way towards Cedric's lab.

"This is bad, this is very, very bad," Roland was muttering in a panicked whisper to himself, making Sofia's heart stop in her chest. This was the first time she'd ever seen her stepfather look so afraid. "W-What's bad, dad?" Sofia asked hesitantly, not really sure if she wanted to hear the answer. King Roland's face drained of all color and he didn't answer her, gripping her hand tighter. They raced up the dark, winding stairs leading to Cedric's lab together. King Roland started to bang on the door as soon as they reached it.

"Cedric! Cedric, let us in!" the King demanded. No answer. "Mr. Cedric, please open up! We want to help!" Sofia cried, joining her father in knocking on the door. Inside, Cedric was turning over a shard of the broken glass from the vial in his hands, the sleeves of his robes pulled up to his elbows. He heard the calls of his King and his friend, but he ignored them. Wormwood watched his master worriedly from his perch, in a stance so that he could swoop down and snatch the glass at any moment.

"Do you think anyone besides you will miss me, Wormy?" Cedric asked, his voice coming out in a pained whisper. The now panicking Raven bobbed its head hurriedly, eyeing the shard with wary eyes. Cedric chuckled humorlessly. "No, of course they won't. Sofia has other friends. The King can get another sorcerer. My mother loves Cordelia as much as me, so she doesn't need another child. F-Father..." Cedric started to choke up and he bowed his head, hiding his face behind his free hand.

"He never really was a father to me, was he?" Cedric whimpered, his shoulders shaking gently with suppressed sobs. The hand holding the glass shook and a few small cuts appeared on the palm's surface. Wormwood squawked loudly and flapped his wings, flying over to land on Cedric's shoulder. He grabbed at the glass with his beak and tried to pull it out of Cedric's hand, but the young sorcerer was quicker. He knocked Wormwood off his shoulder and jumped to his feet, his eyes narrowed and his stance hunched.

"Stupid bird," Cedric spat, his voice filled with venom. Wormwood covered himself with his wing, terrified of his master's anger. But Cedric wasn't looking at his bird anymore and had turned to the portrait of his parents. His eyes were sad and he wore a bitter smile as he raised the piece of glass once again.

"Don't worry, father. I'll soon be gone, and you won't have to deal with a disappointment like me anymore," Cedric said, his voice dripping with fake cheerfulness as he slashed at his wrist with the glass. He gasped with pain and clenched his jaw, squeezing his eyes shut. He made a long, deep, vertical cut down his wrist and shuddered as he felt his arm become sticky with blood. Tears welled up in Cedric's eyes as he collapsed to his knees.

Cedric regretted this method of killing himself over the poison he had had earlier, but Sofia had made him break the vial, and this was the easiest way he could think of. He faintly heard screams, male and female, before his consciousness left him.


	4. Infirmary

**This chapter may contain triggering content. Read at your own risk.**

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A scream ripped through Sofia's throat as King Roland managed to break down the door and she caught sight of her friend. Cedric laid out on the floor, a peaceful expression on his face as blood seeped from his veins, soaking the sleeves of his robes and dribbling onto the floor. Roland let out a strangled gasp and was at the Sorcerer's side in seconds, scooping Cedric up in his arms and trying to stop the flow of blood. He set Cedric on his desk, taking off his coat and wrapping it tightly around Cedric's bleeding arm.

"What is going on here?!" Winifred screeched as she emerged from her portrait. Goodwin followed close behind, his expression indifferent as he stood behind his wife. Roland II didn't respond, finished tying the coat around Cedric's arm, and picked him up again. He didn't know _how_ to respond. None of them really knew what was going on. Sofia watched with wide eyes as her stepfather rushed out of the room, heading to the castle infirmary. Winifred looked as if she were about to burst into tears any moment and she whirled around to face her husband.

" _I told you!_ I told you saying those things to Cedric would hurt him!" Winifred growled. Goodwin said nothing, walking past her slowly to follow the King. "Aren't you sorry?! Even a little?! You made your own son think he wasn't good enough to live!" Winifred shouted after him, making both the princess and Goodwin face her in shock. Sofia's eyes flickered from Goodwin to Winifred, her head spinning. Was Goodwin really the one to blame for Cedric's actions?!

"Of course I'm sorry love, but what has happened has happened. I cannot take back what I said, even if I wanted to," Goodwin replied quietly. Cedric's mother stared at him in disbelief before shaking her head, storming past him. Goodwin followed close behind, beckoning for Sofia to join them.

"Come along, my dear. You are Cedric's closest friend; he might listen to what you have to say." Sofia obeyed, following the two sorcerers in a dream like state. She remembered the potion Cedric had been about to drink the first time she had come that day. She had been wondering what it was, and now she concluded that it must have been poison. Sofia's eyes began to swim with tears and she had to concentrate entirely on keeping herself from crying. The last thing Cedric needed when he woke up was to see his best friend crying her eyes out over him.

They arrived at the infirmary to see Cedric lying in one of the beds, nurses and maids rushing around him. Cedric was still out cold, his chest barely rising and falling as he breathed. King Roland II was standing over him, a hand to his mouth and his eyes wide with shock. Blood covered the front of his shirt and his sleeves from carrying Cedric all the way to the infirmary. Sofia felt sick at the sight of all that blood. She remembered a lesson in school; Fauna had said if a person lost too much blood, they would die. Sofia stumbled over to Cedric's bed, grabbing one of his pale, cold hands.

"Please don't die, Mr. Ceedric. I know you're sad, and that you want everything to stop hurting, but I love you so much. I need my best friend," she whimpered, her voice soft. The three adults in the room watched her with tearfilled eyes. They didn't think she would understand what was happening since she was so young, but she was obviously more aware than they all thought. Roland put a hand on her shoulder and let her cry, looking as Sofia buried her face in Cedric's chest and sobbed. Goodwin held Winifred close as she cried over their son, but he couldn't bring himself to shed any tears.

"What happened? What made you so sad you wanted to die? Was it something I did? Did dad do something?" Sofia sobbed to her lifeless friend. King Roland's face twisted with grief and Winifred tore away from Goodwin, kneeling by Sofia's side, turning her head to face her and cupping her chin her her hands. She did her best to smile at the crying princess, but her own tears were making it nearly impossible to do so.

"Cedric has been sad for a very long time, Sofia. He did things like this when he was a child. He got better for a little while, but when he became the royal sorcerer, his father and I became harder on him, and he started to feel sad again. Cedric and Goodwin got into a fight today, and Goodwin told Cedric he didn't love him and that he should stop trying to impress him because he would never be good enough to be his son. Cedric believed what his father told him was true. It made him sad like when he was younger, and he tried to end his life. It's not your fault, or the King's fault. He loves you very, very much despite how he acts towards you sometimes, and he wouldn't want you to be sad or to blame yourself for what he did." Sofia hiccuped softly and looked at Goodwin with narrowed eyes, clinging to Winifred and glaring at him. Goodwin looked down at his feet in shame, the hatred in Sofia's gaze burning a hole through him.

"He's your son! Why would you say that to him?!" Sofia asked, her tone laced with horror and anger as she glared at the old sorcerer. Goodwin shifted uncomfortably, tugging at the collar of his robes and trying to come up with a reply. "That's enough, Sofia," Roland said to his stepdaughter quietly, resting a hand on her shoulder. She began to protest and he shook his head firmly. Huffing, Sofia turned away. Her eyes softened as they fell on Cedric and she returned to his bed side.

"Please get better, Mr. Ceedric..."


	5. The Bitterest of Nightmares

Cedric found himself shrouded in darkness, completely engulfed and vulnerable. He tried to move, but his arms and legs refused to obey his commands. He panicked, having always hated the feeling of being powerless, and desperately tried to free himself to no avail. As far as Cedric could tell nothing was holding him down but the shadows and inky blackness. Is this what death was like? Was Cedric doomed to an eternity of darkness? Cedric was snapped out of his thoughts as the sound of footprints met his ears.

"Why must you be such a disappointment? You cannot do a single thing right! You have failed me for the last time!" a voice roared, making Cedric quiver with fear. A figure of his father, greater and more terrible than in life, approached him from what seemed to be the darkest corner of the room. His eyes were empty and held no emotion, but his expression was one of pure loathing and disappointment. Cedric, suddenly finding the use of his limbs, shrank back and held his hands above his head to protect himself.

"I never _really_ loved you, you know. I was just finding an excuse to hate your father." It his mother now, wearing a haughty expression and regarding him with indifferent eyes. Cedric felt his eyes prick with tears as the words of his mother, the only person who had ever seemed to truly love him, cut through his soul like a knife.

"I should have fired you. The castle has been a complete disaster since you first got here!" King Roland II said as he emerged. "Why can't you be more like your father," he added after a moment of silence, smirking as Cedric buried his head in his hands and held back a sob, his shoulders shaking. The three older people had surrounded Cedric, all of them glaring at him, sometimes nudging him with their feet and laughing when he whimpered.

"You were never my friend." Cedric snapped to attention and got to his feet quickly at the sound of the young, familiar voice. Sofia smiled wickedly at the distraught sorcerer, floating from the darkness as if she were a part of it. The three adults parted for her as she approached a trembling Cedric. She grabbed his hand and yanked him down so he was eye level with her. Unlike the others, Sofia seemed sad and almost hurt.

"Did you think I was an idiot? That just because I am a child I didn't know what you were trying to do?" Sofia whispered softly, her eyes welling. Cedric's heart leaped into his throat as Sofia looked down at her amulet, lifting it off of her breast and examining it before looking up at Cedric with wide eyes.

"I loved you. You were my hero, my best friend, my mentor, and my teacher. I thought you would never hurt me. But, I knew that was too good to be true," Sofia said with a sigh, lifting the amulet off of her neck and giving it to Cedric.

"Here, take it if you want it so badly. I hope it was worth losing me," Sofia said coldly. Cedric clutched the amulet to his chest, tears spilling down his cheeks. Sofia didn't fade away but the others did, leaving the two of them alone. Cedric shook, crying silently as Sofia looked up at him with sad brown eyes.

"S-Sofia, I can explain-"

"DON'T!" Sofia screamed, stomping her foot. Her voice echoed through the darkness and Cedric shivered, bowing his head. He tried to take command of himself and give the amulet back to his friend, apologize to her, tell her he never wanted to hurt her. Once again, his body would not obey.

"There's nothing to explain, Mr. Cedric. You're a cruel, evil man. You wanted to hurt me. You lied to me, you manipulated me, and for what? A dumb magical amulet. Your father was right about you. You're pathetic," Sofia said, turning and walking away from the sorcerer. Cedric ran forward, grabbing at the back of the fleeing princess' dress, but they past right through her.

"Sofia! Sofia, please, let me explain!" Cedric pleaded, falling on his hands and knees and clasping his hands together. The amulet had clattered at his side, forgotten. Sofia hesitated, turning slightly to glance back at him Cedric's lip had begun to quiver and he was still crying, his cheeks and the collar of his robes still wet with tears.

"No," she finally replied before disappearing into the darkness.


	6. Trust

**Due to lack of ideas, chapters will most likely be 300-400 words from now on. I'll try to make them longer, but the scenes that are coming to mind for this story are pretty short, but not choppy. I hope you still enjoy!**

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"Mr. Ceedric! Mr. Ceedric, wake up!" Sofia said desperately, shaking the sorcerer despite his frazzled state. He was sobbing loudly, curled up in a tight ball and clutching his head tightly. Sofia felt tears well up in her eyes as her attempts to wake Cedric up from his nightmare failed epically. Cedric eventually stopped shaking on his own, but he was still trembling slightly and whimpering softly, an odd thing for the sorcerer.

"Sofia, come on to bed, Goodwin and Winifred will watch over their son. He'll be alright," Roland said, although he was just as disturbed by Cedric's nightmare bound state as his stepdaughter was. Sofia looked back one last time at her friend before nodding and taking her stepfather's hand, turning away from the distraught family and going to her room. Winifred immediately swept to her son's side, brushing his silvery bangs out of his face and looking down upon him with love and sympathy. Goodwin rolled his eyes.

"Don't baby the boy, Winifred. He's a grown man; he doesn't need such care," Goodwin told his wife. Winifred drew herself up, her eyes blazing with pure rage and grief. Her voice was dangerously low and calm when she spoke, making her husband shrink back slightly.

"Our son tried to kill himself, Goodwin, because of _you._ I'm not babying him. I'm not being too gentle. I'm not treating him like a child. He needs to know that he's loved, and that's what I'm doing. If you think I shouldn't be doing that, then you can leave," Winifred said calmly, smiling bitterly at her spluttering husband. Goodwin glared at his wife, but folded his arms across his chest as he sat down with a huff in a chair beside Cedric's bed. As he glanced at his son his brow furrowed slightly with worry. He looked so pale, paler than normal, and Goodwin could see numerous, angry scars decorating Cedric's arms. It seemed as if this wasn't his son's first dance with danger...

"What can we do, dear? Even if I try to make things right with Cedric, he won't believe a word I say," Goodwin murmured, resting a calloused hand on Cedric's forehead. As Winifred began to answer, Cedric groaned softly in his sleep and turned away from his father's touch onto his side. Goodwin's face fell and he chuckled humorlessly.

"See? Even in his sleep he turns from me," said Goodwin with a sigh. Winifred shook her head and patted her husband's hand reassuringly.

"Things may seem dark now, but you can earn Cedric's trust again. When he wakes, keep your distance, respect the fact that he may not want to be around you, but when he starts to be more comfortable around you, show Cedric kindness. Try to be more gentle with him, and for evil's sake don't scold him so much!" Winifred advised. Goodwin blinked. Trust? Was that really what all of this was about? Goodwin looked at his son's sleeping face and sighed. He supposed his wife had been deemed Winifred the Wise for a reason. He would take her advice. He would make it up to his son. They would be a family again.


	7. Awake

Cedric's eyes flickered open and he shot up in bed, clutching his blankets to his chest and panting for breath. The room he was in was dimly lit by a few candles, their shadows flickering eerily against the wall. Otherwise, it was pitch black. Cedric thought for one heart wrenching moment that his dream was true, but then he saw his mother sleeping in a chair beside him, snoring loudly and murmuring in her sleep. He managed a smile and leaned his chin on his trembling hand, sighing softly. Cedric sniffed, a tear or two escaping from him before he could think to hold them back.

"GOODWIN, STOP EATING THE CAT!" Winifred suddenly shrieked, her eyes shooting open, scaring Cedric so badly he screamed, throwing his arms over his head and curling up in a ball, squeezing his eyes shut and shaking hard. Winifred immediately leaped up onto the bed and wrapped her arms around her terrified son. Cedric whimpered and buried his face in his mother's shoulder, muttering apologies and mentally cursing himself for waking up his mother.

"Oh, it's alright dear, don't be sorry," Winifred soothed, holding her boy close to her as he sniffled into her shoulder. Winifred searched desperately for Goodwin, but he had left the small castle infirmary long ago when his wife and son had slipped into a restless sleep. Cedric pulled away from his mother and rubbed his eyes vigorously, still apologizing under his breath and sighing softly to himself. Winifred looked at her exhausted son with sad eyes, putting a hand on his wrist and pulling it from his eyes. Cedric was about to snap at her to leave him alone when he was knocked down flat on his bed, two little arms wrapped around him.

"I'm so glad you're awake, Mr. Ceedric! Are you feeling better?" Sofia chirped, looking at the hurt sorcerer with her big, round, blue eyes that seemed to be shimmering with tears despite her tone. Cedric swallowed back the lump in his throat, putting a shaking hand on the back of Sofia's head and sighing dejectedly.

"How many times do I have to tell you? It's Cedric," the sorcerer whispered. The little princess giggled and snuggled against the older man, making Cedric smile. Winifred smiled before quietly leaving the room so the two friends could talk alone, closing the door behind her. Sofia rested her head on Cedric's chest, frowning slightly as she heard how quiet and slow his heartbeat was. It scared her, but she was here to make Cedric happy again.

"I made something for you, Cedric," Sofia said softly, getting off the bed to pick up the card that had fallen to the floor when she tackle-hugged the sorcerer. Cedric's eyes softened as Sofia handed him the crudely made. On the front was a crayon drawing of Cedric and Sofia holding hands, standing in a grassy lot with flowers and a sunshine that had a smile. The words "GET WELL SOON" were written in all caps at the top in bright green crayon.

"Thank you, Sofia," Cedric said, his voice quivering and filled with sincerity as he wrapped his bandaged arms around the little princess and pulled her closer to him. Sofia snuggled up to his side, her eyes half closed as she allowed herself to relax and feel at peace since Cedric had first gotten into the infirmary. She looked at the blood spotted bandages on her friend's arms and frowned, her stomach churning and her mind reeling as she tried to understand why.

"Mr. Cedric?"

"Hm?"

"Can I ask you something?" Cedric looked down at the princess and nodded. Sofia bit her lip and sat up, still leaning against Cedric, but not completely snuggling against him. "Why did you try to die?" Sofia asked timidly, looking down at her hands in shame. She saw Cedric pale out of the corner of her eye and immediately regretted letting her curiosity get the best of her. She was about to tell the sorcerer that he didn't have to answer if it would make him sad again, but Cedric's tired smile directed her way made her relax, if only slightly.

"That's a hard question to answer, Sofia, and even if I did answer it, you still might not understand. Are you alright with that?" Cedric asked, secretly hoping the princess would refuse, but Sofia nodded eagerly, scooting closer to the sorcerer on his bed and looking up at him expectantly. Cedric gulped, his eyes flickering to his gloved hands. What had he gotten himself into...?


End file.
